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Esteban Gutiérrez
2017 Mexico City ePrix |champs = 0 |teams = Techeetah |natflag = MEX |driver = Esteban Gutiérrez }} Esteban Manuel Gutiérrez (born 5 August 1991) is a Mexican racing driver, who competed for Techeetah during the 2016/17 FIA Formula E Championship. Gutiérrez would race three times for the Chinese backed effort in place of Ma Qing Hua, although he ultimately abandoned the team to take up a seat in IndyCar.'Sarrazin to TECHEETAH, Dillmann joins Venturi', fiaformulae.com, (FIA Formula E, 03/06/2017), http://www.fiaformulae.com/en/news/2017/june/sarrazin-to-techeetah-dillmann-joins-venturi/, (Accessed 03/06/2017) Background Having been a recognisable figure in the Mexican karting scene in his early teens, Gutiérrez made the step to racing cars in 2007, entering the Formula BMW USA Series.'Esteban Gutiérrez', fiaformulae.com, (FIA Formula E, 24/09/2017), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esteban_Guti%C3%A9rrez, (Accessed 25/09/2017) His debut season saw him claim second overall and a spot in the Formula BMW World Final, although he was to finish last in the one off race. 2008 saw Gutiérrez go better in both, winning the BMW USA Series outright, while coming third in the World Finals. The European Scene Gutiérrez made the move to Europe in 2009, entering the Formula 3 Euro Series as he began his hunt for a spot in Formula One. After ending the season in ninth overall, with two podiums, Gutiérrez would move on to the new GP3 Series in 2010, staying with his Euro Series team. A dominant season saw Gutiérrez claim five wins and the title, and earned the Mexican racer a spot in the penultimate tier of the single seater ladder: GP2. Gutiérrez ultimately race in both the GP2 and GP2 Asia Series in 2011, although he would only claim a single podium finish between them. 2012 saw a far stronger Gutiérrez compete in GP2, the Mexican taking three wins on his way to third in the Championship. His prize would ultimately prove to be a drive with Sauber in Formula One in 2013, funded by his wealthy sponsors. Formula Dream Gutiérrez had long harboured ambitions of driving in Formula One, and had been listed as a test driver for Sauber since 2011. His increase in sponsors after his GP2 exploits proved to be the catalyst for the Mexican getting an F1 seat, although his debut season was mainly spent at the back of the field. Indeed, Gutiérrez would only manage a single points finish in the lowly Sauber, although he did secure a contract for 2014. 2014 quickly developed into a nightmare for Gutiérrez, the Mexican failing to score at all while retiring from a third of the seasons races. His contract with Sauber was not renewed, although Gutiérrez did secure a deal with Scuderia Ferrari to become their test/reserve driver. That, in turn, would allow him to get involved with the new Haas F1 Team, with Gutiérrez joining the American effort when they debuted in 2016. Unfortunately for Gutiérrez his time with Haas would be no more successful than it had been at Sauber, the Mexican racer failing to score once again. Indeed, rumours of a replacement floated around the paddock for half the season, and after a public bust-up with owner Gene Haas, Gutiérrez was elbowed out of the team at the end of the season. After his F1 exit, Gutiérrez would get a deal to race in Formula E, before later accepting a drive in the IndyCar Series. Formula E History Gutiérrez would be brought into the Techeetah squad partway through the 2016/17 season, after second driver Ma Qing Hua had failed to claim a point.'Esteban Gutierrez joins TECHEETAH Formula E Team', fiaformulae.com, (FIA Formula E, 20/03/2017), http://www.fiaformulae.com/en/news/2017/march/esteban-gutierrez-joins-techeetah-formula-e-team/, (Accessed 20/03/2017) Having recently become an ambassador for the series, Gutiérrez's arrival was met with widespread joy, particularly as the Mexican racer would make his debut in the 2017 Mexico City ePrix. Tempting Tech Gutiérrez made it clear that he would race in Formula E in hopes of getting a full-time seat in the series for 2017/18. However, he would only drive an FE car once before his debut in Mexico City, and would get thoroughly beaten by teammate Jean-Éric Vergne.'Di Grassi produces masterpiece in Mexico', fiaformulae.com, (FIA Formula E, 01/04/2017), http://www.fiaformulae.com/en/news/2017/april/di-grassi-produces-masterpiece-in-mexico/, (Accessed 02/04/2017) That said, Gutiérrez would claim his first point with tenth place, besting his predecessor Ma, although Vergne ended the day on the podium. At the following two races in Monte Carlo and Paris it was Gutiérrez who bested Vergne, although the latter would retire from both. Gutiérrez himself would claim another points finish in Monaco, before a lowly twelfth place in Paris followed.'Buemi hands Renault e.dams emotional Paris win', fiaformulae.com, (FIA Formula E, 20/05/2017), http://www.fiaformulae.com/en/news/2017/may/buemi-hands-renault-edams-emotional-paris-win/, (Accessed 21/05/2017) Then, in the build up to the first Berlin ePrix of the season, Gutiérrez was offered a place in IndyCar to replace an injured Sébastien Bourdais. His acceptance saw him leave Techeetah with immediate effect, to be replaced by Stéphane Sarrazin. Full Formula E Record Shown below are a series of tables outlining 's career in Formula E in statistical form. Formula E Entries The list below includes all of the teams and cars, as well as overall finishing positions for during their FE career: Career Results Below is a table showing 's full Formula E record. | |12th|||||||22nd|5}} |} References Videos and Images: *J.H. Sohn, '2014 Australian F1 Grand Prix', flickr.com, (Flickr, 13/03/2014), https://www.flickr.com/photos/jhsohn/13125202644/, (Accessed 24/04/2018 - Cropped from Original) References: Category:Drivers Category:Former Drivers Category:Techeetah Category:Mexican Drivers